Clamping means



Jan. 25, 1949.

C. L. HARDWICK GLAMPING MEANS Filed Sept. 27, 1945 v J Q 28 3nnento1 I W a M attorney Patented Jan. 25, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Christopher L. Hardwick, Cleveland, Tenn.

Application September 27, 1945, .Serial No. 618,918

2 Claims. 1

f disconnected elements being displaced and damaged during shipment.

Another object is the provision of a relatively simple and inexpensive clamping means which is readily adapted for assembly and disassembly with respect to the top heating elements of a stove prior to and after shipment respectively.

A further object is to provide a clamping means for securing together the burner and grid assembly of a stove during shipment and which is provided with a cushioning means for protecting these elements.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent as the specification is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Y

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cooking stove, showing the relative positions of the clamping devices, grids, burner housings and burners;

Figure 2 is a section through one of the burner assemblies of Figure 1, showing one of the clamping devices in operative position relative to the grid, burner housing and burner;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the clamping devices, prior to being secured in place on the grid and burner assembly; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan on one of the burners showing the hooked shank of the clamp in clamping position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, I designates the cooking top of a stove or range, only a portion of the top of which is shown. A pair of conventional spaced annular burners 2 are suitably mounted in a substantially rectangular relatively shallow burner space or compartment 3, provided beneath the top I of the stove for this purpose. Each burner comprises a body portion 4 and a removable top portion 5, fuel being supplied to the inlet ends of integral mixing tubes 6, from a suitable source of gas supply, not shown. It is common practice to form the body. of such burners with a relatively narrow integral cross Web I for supporting an upstanding threaded post 8, and it is also old to provide the removable burner top or cap 5 with a similar cross web 21. The latter web is provided with a threaded aperture 9 adapted to receive the threaded post 8 when the burner cap is screwed home against the burner body.

Access is had to the burner compartment 3 through a rectangular opening it formed in the stove top 5. The sheet metal top is bent downwardly and thence inwardly to form vertical flanges and horizontal flanges II and I2, respectively, about the opening it]. A recess is thus formed in which a burner plate l3 seats flush with the stove top. This burner plate is depressed to form annular drip flanges !4, surrounding spaced circular openings I5, through which the tops of the annular burners 2 slightly protrude.

Mounted on the top of the burner plate l3, and extending over the circular burner openings l5, in the substantially horizontally disposed annular flanges M, are a pair of spaced cooking grates or grids 16 having four radially extending legs 26 which rest on the upper face of the burner plate. As the grids are rather loosely mounted on the burner plate and the latter are freely seated in the rectangular opening Ill, these elements are adapted to be readily assembled and disassembled for cleaning and servicing purposes. This is desirable in the interest of simplicity and cheapness of manufacture and is the generally accepted practice with stove manufacturers. However, as the grids and burner plate are freely mounted on the stove top, it is apparent that some means must be employed to clamp these elements to the stove to prevent the same or the stove being damaged during shipment. It is particularly desirable that such clamping means be reused from time to time to thereby reduce and minimize the overall shipping costs, in addition to securely clamping'the stoveelements together and protecting the same during shipment. As it will be understood that a clamping assembly is employed for each burner unit a description of one assembly will suflice.

My improved clamping assembl comprises a metal bolt I! having the threaded portion 18 at its upper end and being formed with a curved,

bent or arcuately shaped hook l9 at its lower end. The bolt is of sufficient length to permit of its being inserted through a central opening 20 in the annular burner 2 so that the bent hook I 9 thereof will fit around the integral cross web 1 extending across the body 4 of the burner 2, as

and; thereby damaged during shipment.

best shown in Figures 2 and 4. The shank of the bolt projects through the burner opening beyond the corresponding integral cross web 21 extending across the removable burner top orcap 5, and the upper threaded end of the bolt extends above the top plane of the grid It. By reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that hook portion it of bolt I! being centrally arranged engages with the centrally located bottom cross web I, of the burner body 4, whereas the shank. of the bolt is slightly offset from and extends parallel to the vertical axis of the burner and to one sideof the cross web 21.

Sleeved over the shank of the bolt is a relatively large piece of heavy corrugated cardboard 21.

While I have shown this pieceasbeing somewhat square or rectangularly shaped, it will be appar ent that it may be circular or of any desired shape. The cardboard strip 2! is of sufficient size that it will flatly engage with the sloping top face 22 of the burner top 5. A relatively thin metal disk or washer 23 is formed with a central aperture 2a through which the shank of the bolt ii extends-whereby the'disk flatly engages the top face of the cardboard piece 2!. A nut 25 mounted on the threaded bolt shank is adapted. when appropriately rotated, to press the disk 23 and adjacent cardboard strip 25 flatly and tightly against the burner top 5, in an obvious manner. A corresponding although somewhat larger strip or piece 28 of heavy corrugated cardboard is sleeved over the upper end of the bolt'shank and rests. upon the grate l6, and a relatively thin metal disk 29 formed with acentral aperture 2 is sleeved upon the upper portion or" the bolt 1'5 and engages with the cardboard 28. A pair of nuts 30 threadedly engaging the threaded shank of bolt i? are adapted to force the disk 29 downwardly against the cardboard strip 23 and press the latter tightly against the grid 16,. as illustrated in Figure 2. I'hus the grid l6 willbe forced downwardly against the burner plate 13 and clamp the latter in its seat within the stove top 5. At the same time the burner is maintained in relatively. immovable position with respect to the grates and other parts of the stove.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the clamp assemblies firmly and securely'olamp together the burners, burner castings and grids prevent the same from becoming. displaced The clamps may readily be disassembled, in an obvious manner, by successively removing the nuts '32 and 25, disks 23 and 23, and upper and lower cardboard strips 28 and 2| and thereby permitting of the assemblies being reused. The cardboard pieces 2! and 23 in addition to insuring a hresilient clamping action serve to protect the porcelain finish of the stove.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my clamping assembly, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention:

What I claim is: a 1. A clamping means for securing together upper and-lower and intermediate superposed parts, said intermediate and lower parts each having an upper and a lower cross webrespectively, said cross webs being of substantially the same width and in vertical alinement with each other, said clamping means comprising a threaded shanked member, hook-shaped means on the lower end of the shank of said shanked member removably engageable beneath said lower cross web and the intermediate portion of said shanked member above said hook-shaped means 7 parts respectively whereby said uppenlower and intermediate parts will be clamped together.

2. A claim according to claim 1 wherein cushioning means is interposed between the respective clamping members and the said upper and intermediate parts.

CHRISTOPHER L. HARDWICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name- Date 249,125 Vossler Nov. 1, 1881 356,889 Pond Feb. 1, 1887 857,366 Quack June 11, 1907 917,186 Thompson Apr. ,6, 1909 1,732,053 Landis Oct. 15, 1929 2,144,848 Miller Jan. 24, 1939 2,143,777 Schneider et a1 Feb. 28, 1939 2,223,961 Mills Dec. 3, 1940 2,232,482

Schulz Feb. 18, 1941 

